Lagniappe

The Spanish occupation never became more than a conquest. The Spanish tongue, enforced in the courts and principal public offices, never superseded the French in the mouths of the people, and left but a few words naturalized in the corrupt French of the slaves. The terrors of the calaboza, with its chains and whips and branding irons, were condensed into the French tri-syllabic calaboose; while the pleasant institution of ñapa -- the petty gratuity added, by the retailer, to anything bought -- grew the pleasanter, drawn out into Gallicized lagnappe.

We picked up one excellent word — a word worth travelling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word — "lagniappe." They pronounce it ''lanny-yap''. It is Spanish — so they said. We discovered it at the head of a column of odds and ends in the '' Picayune '', the first day; heard twenty people use it the second; inquired what it meant the third; adopted it and got facility in swinging it the fourth. It has a restricted meaning, but I think the people spread it out a little when they choose. It is the equivalent of the thirteenth roll in a " Baker's Dozen ." It is something thrown in, ''gratis'', for good measure. The custom originated in the Spanish quarter of the city. When a child or a servant buys something in a shop — or even the Mayor or the Governor , for aught I know — he finishes the operation by saying — "Give me something for lagniappe."

The shopman always responds; gives the child a bit of Licorice -root, gives the servant a cheap Cigar or a spool of thread, gives the governor — I don't know what he gives the governor; Support , likely.

When you are invited to Drink , and this does occur now and then in New Orleans — and you say, "What, again? — no, I've had enough;" the other party says, "But just this one time more — this is for lagniappe." When the Beau perceives that he is stacking his compliments a trifle too high, and sees by the young lady's Countenance that the edifice would have been better with the top compliment left off, he puts his "I beg pardon — no harm intended," into the briefer form of "Oh, that's for lagniappe."

If the waiter in the restaurant stumbles and spills a Gill of coffee down the back of your neck, he says "For lagniappe, sah," and gets you another cup without extra charge.

• American Heritage Dictionary


• Dictionary of Cajun French


• Diccionario de la lengua española


• Quechua Dictionary


• Some Words From the Dialect of Trinidad and Tobago

• List Of English Words Of Quechua Origin